Trolley for electric railways.



No. 835,731. PATENTED Nov. 1s, 1906.

E. F. LANDN. TROLLEY FOB, ELEGTRIG'LRAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. l1, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l www" f y No. 835,731. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

E. P. LANDIS. TROLLEY PoR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mjm wfak HWXCUM t i taken on line y y, Fig. 6.

IINITEI) STATES PATENT GFFICE.

EZRA F. LANDIS, OF LA SALLE, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed Septemberll, 1905. Serial No. 277,815.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA F. LANDIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Salle, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolleys for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolleys for electric railways; and it has for its primary object the production of retainers confined within the trolley-wheel, whereby the trolley is maintained in contact with the trolley-wire.

Other objects are to provide'the trolleywheel with an annular chamber and locate within said chamber a pair of retainers having one or both of their ends projecting out beyond the periphery of the wheel for attachment to the trolley-head and to otherwise improve on trolleys now in use.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the upper end of a trolley equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line v c, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line Fig. 1, looking to the left. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the curved retainers. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the upper end of a trolley embodying my invention in modified form. Fig. 7 is a transverse section Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken on line z z, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of one of the retainers in modified form.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The reference-numeral 10 designates the trolley-pole, having at its upper end the head 1 l, within which is revolubly held the trolleywheel 12, said wheel being loosely mounted on a spindle 13, extending through the two side arms 14 of the head. At the rear the side arms 14 are connected by a cross-bar 15, having on its inner face a forwardly-extending pin 16.

The trolley-wheel is provided with the usual groove or grooved bearing-surface 17 and with angular flanges 18, having their free edges 19 separated by an annular space 20, through which the feed-wire 21 is passed for contact with the groove 17 of the wheel. Said angular flanges form an annular chamber 22, in which are located substantially semiannular retainers 23, having opposing extensions- 24, which contact and lie above the feed-wire to retain the latter in the groove 17 and prevent accidental disengagement from the trolley-wire. 4

The retainers 23 have their ends pivotally affixed to the head and are arranged so that they swing laterally simultaneously by suitable means controlled by the conductor of the car. The pin 16 on the cross-bar 15 of the trolley-head projects into the annular space in the trolley-wheel, said pin having the rear ends of the retainers pivotally secured thereto. The retainersoverlap at the rear ends and have coinciding eyes 25 for the reception of said pin. A Cotter-pin 26 or other suitable retaining device 1s passed through the forward end of the pin to prevent dislodgment of the retainers. The retainers are bent outward at their forward ends, as at 27, and terminate in opposite laterally and downwardly extending arms 28, between which is interposed a suitable spring 29, serving to maintain the retainers 1n normal position. The upper or inner ends of the arms 28 are enlarged and provided with co inciding eyes 30 to t a pivot-pin 31, projecting from a bracket 32, formed on the head of the trolley. Secured to the outer ends of arms 28 are links 33, connected by an eye or loop 34, to which the usual operating-rope is secured, which serves as a means to actuate the retainers and also to disengage the trolley from the feed-wire and to direct the trolley against said wire.

A pulling action on the rope will, through the intervention of the links 33, acting on the forward ends of the retainers, cause the'latter to be separated to permit disengaging the trolley from the feed-wire, or to permit the grooved bearing-surface of the trolley-wheel to be brought in contact with said wire. On

` releasing the rope in either case the spring 29 causes the retainers to be returned to their normal position. y

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I have shown the retainers in modified form, they being formed of spring metal curved to fit within the annular chamber in the trolley-wheel and having opposing integral extensions 36, provided with forwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces 37 and in TOO IIC

cross-section being of V formation. The ends of the retainers are rigidly affixed to arms 38, extending from the front and rear of the trolley-head, opening into the said annular chamber.

Disengagement of the trolley from the wire is attained by pulling on a rope 39, secured to the trolley-pole. The under inclined surfaces 40 of the V-formed extensions when brought in contact with the feed-wire cause the yielding retainers to separate by the force applied, so as to permit the trolley to be drawn downward. After the ridges 41 of the V- shaped extensions are brought below the longitudinal center of the feed-wire the retainers are returned to normal. When placing the trolley-wheel in contact with the feedwire, the upper inclined surfaces 42 of the extensions are brought in contact with the wire and are caused to separate by the action of the usual spring provided at the lower end of the trolley pole. (Not shown.) The lower inclined surface of the extensions approach almost a horizontal. plane, so that considerable force is necessary to cause disengagement of the trolley from the feed-wire, while the upper inclined surfaces of said extensions approach almost a vertical plane, so that the retainers will readily separate when placing the trolley in contact with the wire. This arrangement is essential to the proper working of the retainers, as a direct downward pull of considerable force is necessary to cause disengagement of the trolley from the wire.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the retainers are confined within the trolley-wheel and that from outward appearance the trolley is of the regulation form, the operative parts being wholly within the trolley-head and wheel, so that there is no possibility of their coming in contact with hangers, cross-wires, or other parts of the wire system.

My invention is herein shown in two representive forms; but the principal involved may be embodied in various forms. Changes in the arrangement and construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In a trolley, the combination of the trolley-wheel and retainers confined within said trolley-wheel, for the purpose described.

2. In a trolley, the combination of the trolley-wheel having an annular chamber and retainers within said chamber, for the purpose described.

3. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-pole having a trolley-head at its upper end, a trolley-wheel journaled to revolve within said head and having a groove and iianges arranged to form an annular chamber around said groove, and retainers within said chamber supported on said trolley-head.

4. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-pole having a trolley-head at its upper end, a trolley-wheel ournaled to revolve within said head and having a groove and peripheral iianges arranged to form an annular chamber in said wheel, and yielding retainers normally held within said chamber and above said groove and being supported on said trolley-head.

5. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-pole having a trolley-head at its upper end, a trolley-wheel having an annular chamber and being journaled to revolve within said trolley-head, and retainers supported on said trolley-head and capable of lateral movement within the chamber of said trolley-head.

6. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-head, of a trolley-wheel journaled to revolve within said trolley-head and having a` circumferential groove and peripheral flanges, and curved retainers supported within said trolley-head and arranged between said flanges. 7. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-head, of a trolley-wheel j ournaled to revolve within said trolley-head and having a circumferential groove and peripheral flanges, and curved retainers supported Within said trolley-head and arranged between said flanges, said retainers having opposing projections lying over the groove in the trolley-wheel.

8. The combination of a trolley-head having side arms connected at the rear by a cross-bar, a trolley-wheel Within said head and having angular flanges forming an annular chamber within the wheel, a support extending from said cross-bar and entering said annular chamber, curved retainers within said annular chamber and having pivotal connection with said support, said retainers having integral forwardly-extending arms terminating in laterally and downwardly inclined extensions, and suitable operating mechanism attached to said arms.

9. The combination of a trolley-head having side arms connected at the rear by a cross-bar, a trolley-wheel within said head and having angular iianges forming an annular chamber within the Wheel, a support extending from said cross-bar and entering said annular chamber, curved retainers Within said annular chamber and having pivotal connection with said support, said retainers having integral forwardly-extending arms terminating in laterally and downwardly inclined extensions, a spring between the extensions of said arms, and operating mechanism attached to said arms.

10. The combination of a trolley-head having side arms connected at the rear by a cross-bar, a trolley-wheel Within said head IOO IIO

and having angular flanges forming an annular chamber within the wheel, a support eX- tending from said cross-bar and entering said annular chamber, curved retainers within said annular chamber and having pivotal connection with said sup ort, said retainers having integral forward y-extending arms terminating in'laterally and downwardly inclined extensions, a spring between the eX- tensions of said arms, links connected to the ends of said inclined extensions, and an operating-rope connected to said links.

l1. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-head, of a trolley-wheel journaled in said head to revolve and having peripheral flanges to form a circumferential groove, and

a segmental retainer arranged between said flanges and supported'on said trolley-head between or adjacent the said flanges.

12. In a trolley, the combination with a trolley-head, of a trolley-wheel j ournaled to revolve and having peripheral flanges to form a circumferential groove, and a laterally-movable curved retainer arranged between said flanges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EZRA F. LANDIS.

Witnesses:

L. I. LINCH. HENRY P. SOHMECK. 

